James Graves

The M61 motorway has been closed due to a vehicle catching fire and long delays are expected.

The incident happened between the southbound junction 8 and junction 6 (Horwich) shortly after 3.30pm.

Emergency services are at the scene.

Two of the three lanes are closed due to the vehicle fire and fuel spillages. Contractors and traffic officers are currently at the scene and the lane closures are expected to remain in place through the evening.

Highways England advise delays of around 50 minutes. A spokesman said: "Please allow extra time for your journey as delays are starting to build."

North West Motorway Police tweeted: "If you intend to travel on the M61 southbound, try and find an alternative route, lanes 1 and 2 are being closed junction 8 to junction 6 for resurfacing after an incident, lane 3 is running but there will be tail backs."